Primarily, organized crime in France is based in its urban, major cities such as Marseille, Grenoble, Paris, and Lyon. Organized criminals are collectively known as the French Mob and singularly known as les beaux voyous (i.e. "the goodfellas") operating within Le Milieu (French: luh mil-yuh; i.e. "the underworld").[note 1][1][2]

France's geographical location makes it an attractive venue for trafficking (i.e. smuggling) and counterfeiting. The port of Marseille is a hub for Le Milieu to move large amounts of product into domestic and European markets.[3] Low economic development continues to be the largest factor in youth joining French criminal organizations.

The most prominent criminal organization within Le Milieu is the Corsican mafia. Although the mafia has encompassed many criminal groups from the 1960s to the 1980s, modern (1990s–present) criminal activity is managed by the Marseille-based Unione Corse and Northern Corsica-based Gang de la Brise de Mer (i.e. "the sea breeze gang"). In 2007, an internal conflict led to the deaths of 102 people on the island of Corsica fracturing the influence of the two larger groups.[4] These two mobs remain powerful as of 2018, often controlling nightclubs, bars, restaurants, apartments, and hotels in Aix-en-Provence, Marseille and the French Riviera. In 2016, it was estimated that France's organized crime net US$23 billon in its underground economy.[5]

Terms used

The term Milieu literally means middle and figuratively society or environment and refers to the set of criminal figures operating in the French metropolitan areas who are known to the public for being involved in high level organized crime. Members working within the Milieu are collectively known as the French Mob. This category does not include criminal organizations that were formed in another country and operate within France (e.g. the Italian Camorra, Serbian Mafia, Albanian mafia, Chinese Triads, or Turkish Kurd PKK).[6][7] French mobs considered within the milieu are usually ones with long-standing ties to the country.[8] An increase in youth-centered gang activity lead to the separation of the Milieu.[3]

"Traditional Milieu" (1930 to 1989): encompasses the older, foundational criminal organizations of the French underworld

Organization

Due to the early historical connection the Corsican mafia shares with the Sicilian one, the modern structure of most French mobs typically break down into crime families with a strict hierarchy. Usually the goodfellas that carry out "orders" are known as un équipe multi-qualifiée (i.e. a multi-skilled team) composed of les beaux voyous (i.e. "the good fellows"). Most of these groups of members maintain and protect "mouvances" (i.e. territory).[2] Members of the French Mob are highly professional as compared to lower-level crime groups in that they usually split their work by specialty (e.g. some members serve as the "brain", while others the "muscle" and/or "specialist".[2]

Caïd (French: [kay-id] "the big boss"; "the boss")

Parrain (French: [pah-rahn] "godfather")

Spécialiste (French: [speh-sjah-leest] "specialist")

Associés ("associate")

Beaux voyous ([bow vwah-yo] "goodfella"; "the good fellows")

Externally, and more generally, the organization of the French mob is as follows:[2][7][6]

Le Milieu (French: [luh mil-yuh]) "the underworld") / The French Mob: a general term for criminal organizations in France

History

Origins: 1910s to 1920s

The history of organized crime in France can be traced to the French Revolution (1789 to 1799). It is however with the turn of the 20th century that local mobsters became highly organized and created crime families. During the 1910s and 1920s, Pigalle and Rue Saint-Denis (in Paris) served as a hub for prostitution.[2] Due to decentralized political control in Corsica during the 1900s, many criminal organizations flourished. Members of these gangs moved from the island of Corsica to the southern coasts of France during the early 20th century. From 1920 to 1930, prostitution was the most important criminal activity controlled by the two Italian-French Godfathers, Paul Carbone and François Spirito.[2]

"French Connection": 1930s to 1970s

During the 1940s and 1950s, many gangs — most notably the Tractions Avant gang – committed large scale bank robberies. During the 1970s, the most powerful gang in Paris was the Zemmour crime family, a Jewish/pied noir clan. The Zemmour brothers controlled prostitution in the French capital and were considered to be Godfathers of Paris.[2] As prostitution decreased, criminal activities turned to more white-collar crimes. In 1930, the two godfathers spearheaded the French Connection – a global heroin smuggling ring reaching its peak in the 1960s and 1970s. Drugs were smuggled from Turkey to France and then to the United States through Canada. The French Connection was guided by various crime families into the late 1970s before it was disbanded by French authorities. The "Milieu of Marseille" (i.e. "the underworld of Marseille")[2][5] was left without political leadership after the French Connection was destroyed.[2] The Unione Corse established widespread infrastructure in the 1930s and helped guide the Milieu out of the French Connection era.[9]

"The Godfathers of Paris": 1980s

During the 1980s, many "godfathers" (e.g. Tany Zampa, Jacky Imbert, and Francis Vanverberghe) fought for control over racketeering and drug trafficking in the port area of the city. It was during this time that the Zemmour brothers — known as "The Godfathers of Paris" — were killed. Claude Genova quickly assumed the gap the brothers left and continued running low-level prostitution rings until his 1994 assassination. The Gang des postiches robbed nearly 30 banks during their run from 1981 to 1986. Claude Genova's connections and infrastructure was overtaken by the Hornec brothers in 1994.

Push to extortion: 1990–2000

At the start of the 1990s, cities were split up by families or "godfathers"[5] (parrains). Larger cities, however, were fractured into various "mouvances" (territories). The 20 arrondissements of Paris were fought over by Corsican godfathers such as Jean-Paul Stefani and Ange Saliceti. Many of these crime families established complex extortion rings in Marseille extending to Aix-en-Provence and the greater French Riviera.

Revitalization: 2000–present

A global push for populism and anti-immigrant sentiments have led to increased Milieu activity. Minority members of French society are being lured into crime families as a way of "fitting in". Low economic growth in the south of France is also leading youth to join the ranks as drug mules to gain an income alternative.[3] An increase in youth-centered gang activity lead to the separation of the Milieu. Since the 1990s, the French Corsican mafia (Milieu corso-marseillais has encompassed the newer, modern criminals in an effort to distinguish them from the "traditional Milieu" (1930s to 1980s).[3]

Inter-gang fighting led to a spike in murder rates on the island of Corsica in 2008.[21] In 2010, The "Venzolasca Gang" penetrated large amounts of territory previously occupied by the Brise de Mer Gang.

In 2011, it was reported that various North African gangs had moved to the suburbs of Paris in order to sell crack cocaine.[22] Members of these gangs introduced heroin and pure cocaine to their business operations in 2015.[23][24][25] On 18 October 2011, a large holding of art was stolen from the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Ajaccio, Corsica, by the Valinco, Brise de Mer, and Venzolasca gangs.[26]

List of crime families

Crime families in France are smaller units of mobs (i.e. a crime syndicate) which are in-turn either smaller units of a mafia group or the general Milieu. Alternately the phrase "crime family" could also mean the entirety of a mob, if it is small enough.[8] The following list encompasses groups that are solely crime families and do not double as French mobs: